Our canine companions aren’t picky eaters; they’ll eat anything and everything they come across. So, it isn’t uncommon for our pups to beg for a bite of whatever we’re eating. While feeding your dog human food shouldn’t be something you do often, it is occasionally alright to do so. But before you give your dog something off your plate, you should know whether it’s safe for them to consume.
One thing people love that dogs are also big fans of are chips of all kinds, whether they be potato, tortilla, or corn. But can dogs eat corn chips? The good news is that corn chips aren’t toxic to your furry friend, so if they happen to sneak a chip, it shouldn’t be especially dangerous. The bad news is that corn chips aren’t healthy for canines, so they shouldn’t eat them.
Why Can’t Dogs Eat Corn Chips?
Dogs shouldn’t eat corn chips for several reasons. Corn chips are highly processed, which means they’re loaded with fat, calories, and sodium, none of which are healthy for your pup. These tasty treats can also come with seasonings, which could harm your pet if consumed. While a corn chip or two won’t hurt your dog too much, too many corn chips could cause problems with your pet.
Dangers of Feeding Corn Chips to Dogs
Let’s take a closer look at the dangers of feeding corn chips to our four-legged friends.
1. Calories
Dogs should be getting all the calories they need each day from their dog food, so any treats or snacks they’re given on top of that are just extra calories. And if a pup is consuming extra calories often, those calories add up, which can lead to weight gain and obesity. Obesity in canines can cause quite a few health problems down the road, so it’s best to stick with dog-friendly, low-calorie snacks for your canine companion.
2. Fat
Corn chips are made with oil, most often corn oil, making them high in fat. Besides the potential for weight gain if your pet routinely consumes foods high in fat, eating fatty foods could lead to pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is serious, requiring a vet visit and most likely hospitalization, so it’s absolutely a health issue you want to avoid at all costs.
3. Seasonings
If a dog is going to eat corn chips (which again is inadvisable), they will do best with plain corn chips. Corn chips can come in many flavors, including BBQ, chili cheese, flaming hot, and hot sauce. Several of these flavorings are made with seasoning mixes that include onion powder, and all parts of the onion are toxic to canines. In fact, anything from the Allium family of plants is incredibly toxic to dogs. This also includes garlic, which is sometimes also used in corn chip seasoning.
And when it comes to anything spicy, your pup should be kept far away. Dogs can’t handle spicy foods as well as people, so they may suffer irritation to the mouth or stomach upset after consuming them.
4. Sodium
Dogs need sodium in their diets, just like we do. However, like us, too much sodium can lead to dehydration; in extreme cases, it could lead to salt poisoning but this rare with eating corn chips. For reference a Chihuahua might need to eat around 600g of corn chips to show signs of salt toxicity. We hope this never happens since that is a lot of fat and calories for the little one and they will get sick regardless of the salt! While corn chips are unlikely to lead to salt toxicity, even in small dogs, they could still get dehydrated if they eat a lot.
Are There Healthy Alternatives to Corn Chips?
If you want to give your dog a fun treat that is healthier than corn chips, you could make sweet potato chips. These treats are not only healthy for dogs, but they also only require one ingredient: sweet potatoes!
Slice a sweet potato into ¼ inch slices if you want them chewy. Slice them thinner if you want a more chip-like texture. Lay them on parchment paper on a tray. Bake them in the oven at 250°F (130°C) for 2.5 to 3 hours. Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely before giving them to your dog. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Conclusion
When it comes to treats for your favorite pup, stick to dog-friendly, low-calorie treats. Plain corn chips may not be toxic to your furry pal, but they’re undoubtedly unhealthy for them, and eating them frequently long-term can cause health problems. While plain corn chips may be technically safe if your dog has one or two, any flavored corn chip is out of the question, as the seasoning mixes used for these often include harmful or toxic ingredients to canines.
If your pup enjoys crunchy snacks, get them something dog-safe. We guarantee they won’t notice a difference, and they’ll be healthier for it!
Featured Image Credit: Natalia Mylova, Shutterstock